Culinary ramblings of a mischievous cook. Recipes,pictures,diary entries and all things foodie.Follow a journey of life in the east Algarve, Portugal...

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Ravioli -If at first you don´t succeed try and try again

I think that nearly everyone who loves to cook—even those of us who
enjoy complicated projects when the mood strikes—have a culinary
kryptonite or a baking bête noir. You know, that one
thing that you’ve never made because it’s intimidating or it seems
overly complicated. Mine has always been ravioli. I love to eat it, but it has always seemed like . . . shall I say it, a lot of fannying aboutPasta machines give a
smooth finish, which is fine, but if you’re going as far as to make your
own pasta, why not go all the way? Although Italian nonnas use a long
narrow pin called a mattarello,you can use any heavy rolling pin that feels
right to you.Below is a recipe for a basic pasta dough but everybody has a recipe for pasta dough that works for them, so I would suggest using the recipe that you are accustomed to. Practice makes perfect.Good luck!Makes 48 ravioli5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon salt 6 large eggs 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To make the dough by hand: Combine the flour and salt on a flat work
surface, shape into a mound, and make a well in the center. Add the eggs
and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork.
Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall and mix it with the
beaten eggs. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer
wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a smooth
dough. Dust some flour on the work surface; knead and fold the dough
until it is elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush
the surface of the dough with the remaining olive oil and wrap the
dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten
to relax. To roll out the dough: Cut the ball of dough in half, cover and reserve
the piece you are not using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the
counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle
and roll it turning it over and rolling it again until your dough is paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick. Roll out the other
half.
There are many methods for forming and cutting ravioli. You can use a ravioli cutter or a cookie cutter to form round or square ravioli. Or you can roll out strips of dough, add the filling, fold the dough over and use a pastry cutter to form the ravioli.I was recently given a ravioli press or mould.The result was an improvement on my first attemptbut the thickness of my pasta dough still left a lot to be desired and I am now feeling I should give up following in nonna´s footsteps and invest in a pasta rolling machine.Nonnas have time and patience on their side - I don´t.

To cook. Bring a large pan of salted water to boil. Drop in your
raviolis and stir gently. Raviolis will be finished cooking once they
float to the top. Drain and pour back into the hot pot. Place on the
warm burner. (You don’t need the burner on)To make a simple garlic cream sauce, melt some butter in with the hot
raviolis {still in the same pot you used to cook them in}. Grate in a
little garlic, a splash of cream, some grated parmesan cheese, salt and
pepper. Stir for a minute or two or until sauce thickens slightly. Serve
immediately. (For about 12 raviolis, I used 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2
large clove of garlic, 1/4 cup cream, 1/2 cup cheese, salt and pepper.)

About Me

I´m a self-taught cook.From my childhood in Scotland through growing up in South East England, my mother was my formative influence. Holidays in Europe, America,Africa and Scandinavia fed me with culinary inspiration. Fifteen years of holidaying in Tavira, led me to up roots and follow the dream to live in Portugal. Here in Castro Marim we run a small guest house, Casa Rosada.Relocation has opened my eyes and taste buds to how recipes and their ingredients can change and develop when incorporated into another country´s food culture and how foreigners like myself adapt the local dishes,bringing a new slant to them.In the last three years I have been researching and cooking traditional Portugueses dishes and then inventing a modern twist to them. I´ve started this food blog so I can share new recipes and a slice of Algarvian life here at Casa Rosada here in Castro Marim.